Box beam construction for floors



Aug 4, 1953 K. L. BERGVALL ETAL Re. 23,693

Box BEAM CONSTRUCTION Fon FLOORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed April 2'?, 1945 :cdccdccun:

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Box BEAM CONSTRUCTION FOR FLooRs Original Filed April 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Reissued Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOX BEAM CONSTRUC'IIGN FOR FLOORS Knutv Lennart Bergvall and Ernst Erik Dalilberg', Stockholm, Sweden Original No. 2,579,446, dated December 18, 1951, Serial No. 590,530, April 27, 1945. Application for reissue January 28, 1953 Serial No.. 333,854

(Cl. 20-20 Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates thev additions made by reissue.

Claims.

elements. which can be mechanically manufactured in a factory and afterwards easily put to gether at the erection site. For that reason it is impossible, in a, rationally Working production of portable Wooden buildings, to Write the dimensions of the building or its rooms quite arbitrarily, but they are to be varied in determined steps corresponding to the so-called module measure. In order to satisfy practical demands for various room dimensions [etc] the module measure has to be kept as low as 10-v to 20 centimeters. -In eisting prefabricated arrangements, wall [Wall] and jost elements are usually produced [effected] in normal Widths at least several timeslarger than the chosenmodule measure. In order to satisfy all demands for various room dimensions [Within the frame of the chosen module, consequently there has to be produced, except] which, are multiples of the selected module measure, it is necessary to produce in addition to the elements of normal Width, a large amount of extra elements of varying smaller dimensions. Thus, existing prefabricat'ecl building structures do not utilize, to the maximum erctenlt, the advantages of standardization of elements.

The present invention [refers] relates to elements by means of which the above diiculties are avoided, and it is principally characterised in that all or almost all the building-elements are of the same width, being equal to the chosen module measure [on one hand] and of the same `range of size as the thickness of the [occurring] intermediatev Walls or partitions of thel building, [onthe other hand] or for instance equal to two times this measure, and that the assembly of elements, after having been joined together, form a complete wall [including a complete framing of joists] or floor and ceiling structure. By means of this arrangement it is possible to erect a building essentially by means of [one] a single type of [elements] element. [Accordingly] Further, the framel [element] Aelements included inthe building are of the same width as vthe wall or floor and ceiling forming elements, [through which the advantage is obtained] so that both wall or floor cina ceiling forming elements and'. their framing`4 elements can' to a large extent be produced out of standardized' details.

According to the present invention the production of the wall elements is furthermore quite independent of Windovvand door-apertures the [body] wall structures being built up of the elemer'uisv in such a way thatl necessary window"- and door-apertures as formed'k to accom.- modat'e [wherein] Windows and doors which are inserted later on, at the building-site, which 'to a large extent decreases the number of' element types [being necessary] required' to meet various demands withv reference. to the location andl size of window or door apertures.

When [a frame of] the structure of a building is to be erected by means. of the elements according' to the present invention, the joist elements are placed- Withtheir [edges straight] ena edge portions resting on the top [edge] edges of the outer or inner Wallsr [the Same thing holding good notonly for the walls supporting the elements, but also for] and the side edge portions of certain of the 'ioist elements rest upon the topv edges of the walls running parallel to the longitudinal directionj of the j'ost elements placed. on outer walls being protected by a special Wall elementi, lthe thickness ofwhich is equal to one half of the wall'l thickness and the height of which is' equal tothe thickness of the juist elements;

An advantageous' constructionl of the element according to' the present invention includes a box-beam havingtwo [opposite] parallel and spaced apart side Walls or flange members connected by two parallel and spaced apart end walls orA web* members, so constructed and arranged that the edges of the side Walls projectV beyond the [edges] planes of the end walls or webs,

the projecting portions [or] constituting flanges [being] intended tov abut [closely] against the ,flangesof similar adjoining elements in the building;

In a-building [with awooden fran-lie thoseV Walls of the said] embodying' the present invention, the wallsof the box beam" which are-parallel with the plane of the [ready-made wall-spaces or framings of' j'oists'J wallor floor construction are made of plywood including several wooden courses or plies, the'- bres of which run in different directions. In order toy obtain tight joints between-` the elements, the projectingportions' or flanges at the longitudinal edges of the side walls are provided with tongues and grooves, a moisture resistant packing' being provided at the bottom: of the groove.

In the box-beam embodying the present invention, [The] the projecting [ends] edge portions r flanges of the side walls, [of the box-beam structure] form .a channel with the respective adjoining end wall or web for the reception of a resilient insulating pad, which projects slightly beyond the edges of the side walls.

In the accompanying drawing a vconstructional form of an element according tothe invention is [exemplified] illustrated by way of example to show the manner in which such elements are employed in erecting .a wooden building.

In the drawing.' y

Fig. 1 [shows a diagram of the arrangement as practisedr on a framing of footings] a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of elements on prepared jootings to erect a wooden building in `accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 represents aisection through a boxbeam according to this invention, and Fig. 3 shows a fragmentary section through a portion [of part] of a joint between two adjoining boxbeams. to show how they are joined together to form a wall or floor. Fig. 4 represents in elevation a diagram of a part of a Wall, erected by joining together a plurality of box-beams and Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a part of a two-storied building showing the use of boxbeams according to this invention to make floors, walls, partitions and ceilings.

[In Fig. 1 is illustratedin the form of a diagram how a frame of] Fig, 1 diagrammatically illustrates how a building is erected inra rational manner which is attained by the fact that the plate] by dimensioning the wall and ,floor structures so that each floor structure formed by the hoist elements projects at every edge out upon the top edges of the underlying wall [element] structure to an extent of half a module measure. At the [end side] edges of the,v [framing joists] joist or floor structures, the Wall-thickness is lled out by means of an always [equally] uniformly shaped illler element l. ['I'hus, the further advantage is obtained that] Further, all the joist elements'are of'lengths which represent [a] whole [multiple] multiples of the module measure. Thus, in the ligure, a, b, c and d are whole multiples of the chosen module measure.

[The ligure] Fig. v1 is a schematic elevation through a building erected by meansof interconnected box-beam elements, the left handiportion thereof showing a longitudinal elevation of a joist assembly which provides both` [combined] door and ceiling while the right hand portion thereof shows a transverse diagrammatic section of such a combined iloor and ceiling. The gure is intended only to show the main principle of erecting a building according to the invention.

y Therefore, the box-beam structure ofthe individual elementsis not particularly set forth therein. In this figure, a represents the length of a box-beam element 3| according to the invention, resting on footings 30, [forming a floor] and cooperating with other similar elements to provide a complete floor or-joist structure. In the right hand portion of the ligure d represents, diagrammatically, [a transverse section through the floor] the distance between the confronting faces of the footings 30 measured in the transverse direction, the box-beams 3| being shown at right angles to their position in the left [half] hand `portion of the ligure. The numeral 32 represents a box-beam according to the invention, erected vertically to form a wall.

Each of the elements 31 and 32 forming the-f 4 wall and floor structures, respectively, is constructed in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. The box-beam shown in Fig. 2 has spaced, parallel sides or flange members 5, each including three wooden courses or plies l, 2 and 3 glued together, the outer [ones of which have] and inner plies having their libres parallel to the longitudinal direction of the [plates] flange members and the intermediate [course of which has] ply having its fibres perpendicular to said direction. The intermediate course or ply effectively. reduces the shrinking and expanding of the [two outer courses] inner and outer plies, which permits the variations of the width per element to be decreased to a maximum of approximately 0.3 millimeter. The sides or flange members 5 are kept in their relative [position] spaced apart positions by ends or web members 4 arranged along the elements and each consisting of [rather constant volume plates] a plate of uniform crosssection glued together of, for instance, wood libre, plywood or coursed wood. The [said plates are] web members 4 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the flange members 5, with the edges of the web members being seated in longitudinal grooves formed [on] in the inner [face] faces of said [sides] flange members spaced from the edges [thereof] of the latter. [The projecting portions 5a or flanges are thus formed on said sides] Thus, the edge portions of members 5 project beyond the web members 4, as at 5a, to provide flanges. These projecting [sides] flanges, together with the adjoining [wall] web member 4, form a channel for the reception of an insulating pad 8. In the course of the manufacturing operation the intermediate [courses 2 of the elements] plies 2 of the flange members 5 can be displaced laterally in relation to the [two outside plates] outer and inner plies 1 and 3, respectively, `so that a tongue B and a groove 'l are formed along the opposite longitudinal edges of each flange member, which are tted together with corresponding parts of adjoining elements when the erection takes place. Due to the shape of the elements there is'obtained a closed chamber 9 defined by the interior surfaces of the flange and web members and which is filled with va suitable insulating material. The cushions 8 [suitably] are made narrower than the space or channel between the projecting flanges 5a so that an air chamberfor an air channel I0 is obtained between the cushions and the anges when the elements are assembled (see Fig. 3). Through this channel 10 electric wires [etc. can be suitably drawnl plumbing and the like can be passed. Inconnection with the outer walls the channel furthermore brings'the advantage that, being put into communication with the outer air, it serves as draining channel for the heat insulating material of the elements, because the moisture within the wall will move towardsthe cold channel and vaporize.` The condition, however, is that the cross bracings are of a material apt to permit vapour diffusion. Furthermore in outerwall elements the .channel 10 serves as a draining channel for water [having eventually] which has been able to penetrate the [match-joint] `tongue and groove joint between the abutting edges vof adjoining flanges, and prevents this kwater vfrom soaking in the lling or resilient pads ing for the room thereabove.

E1n the form of a diagram] liig.l 4 diagrammatieally illustrates a wall formed of box-beam elements according to this invention, and [hoW. by means of] the manner in whi'eh dowels or teeth I2 on one box-beam [is connected] are employed' for connectingl the latter with adjoining similar box-beams so as to absorb the Wind forces, said dowels or teeth being obtained, for instance, by making the tongue 6 'deeper at certain points, so that the tooth thus: obtained enters a corresponding or registering cavity 'formed in the groove l. [Loose] In place. of the teeth formed on the tongue 6', loose or separate dowels |2a may also be used to be received in registering recesses or cavities formed in both of the abutting edges of adjoining elements.

Fig. 5 illustrates a section through Aa part of a two-storied building [with a wooden frame] [box-beams] bom-beam. elements according to the invention. The [erection is performed] building is erected in the following manner:`

[On the foundation-Wall a] A. carefully levelled ground beam I4 is placed on each of the previously prepared foundation walls 13. Then the box-beams l5 according to. Fig. 2 are laid [for the floor] with their opposite ends resting upon the ground beams 14 and are fixed. to the;`

ground [beam i4] beams, for instance. by means of nails through the bottom [ilanges] flange members. tightening] A tight seal between the adjoining elements [being] is obtained through the tongues 5 [,1 and the grooves 1 and the tightening or sealing cushions'l 8; As seen in Fig. 5, the opposite ends of the interior cavity of each bca-beam elementy are.- closedr by end walls which are spaced from the` correspond.- ing end edges oy? the flange members so that a recess is defined at each end of the element. Cushions 8 are also disposed in these end recesses to provide a seal between the abutting ends of longitudinallyI aligned bore-beam elements. Furthere, the lower flange member of'each boar-beam element is preferably formed with a depending rim or ridge which seats in the upwardly opening channel defi-ned bg the related ground' beam 14't'hereby preventing longitudinal' movement of the boa-beam elements 15 relative to the ground beams. When, all of the elements-15' have. been installed in side-by-side relationship, the lower flange members of the elements provide the ceiling surface of the underlying basement or cellar, while'the upper flange members provide the-floor- After all of the elements of the rst iloor construction [having] have been placed and joined together, the horif zontalfiller wall' elements I6 are-xed to the ends of the box-beam elements, and to the ground [beam] beams Hl which seat upon the outer foundation walls. [Upon the surface thus ob.- tained e, plate I9 is placed and fixed] A' plate or sill member 1.9 is then placed and ,timed upon the topsurface of the first floor construction extending along each of the joints between endwise abutting elements and the jointsv between the filler elements 16 and the adjacent' ends of the box-beam elements, that is,y alongv the lines corresponding to the locations of the inner wallsor partitions and of the o-uter walls,v said plate or sill being perforated withI an! horizontali aperture for each element included in the corresponding wall; After that the wall elements 20 are raised in the manner shown in Fig. 4, beginning at a corner where7 they rst elementl is temporarilyv stayed [right] in a -perpendieular 'formedv of wood and erected by means of the 6, position as: determined by a plumb: bob.. After [that] the corner box-beam. elementv of the wall construction has been erected, the.y remaining box-beams, are erected and joined together, one by one, the bom-beam elementsbelng connected by tongue and groove', and then the bottom ends of the elements. are nxed in their exact positions by means of a. dowel 2| [being] driven through aysuitable hole in the inner'flange member of the bon-beam element and into the corresponding aperture of the sill 19., [beam corresponding toI a hole provided in the side 5a] After a number of' box beams have thus been [thus] erected to form a wall, an upper plate or sill 22, perforated at spaced4 locations along itsy length for they reception of dowels 23, is. placed. on the upper ends of the side-by-side. disposed wall elementsl and secured to the latter in the same manner as the [beam] sill l5. [In the same.` manner asy at the bottom ends ofi thehun-beams, the upper ends of the beams forming theY Wall are now xed in their positions by means. of doweis 23 at. the upper ends] Thus, the sills 19y and 22 and the corresponding dowels 21 and 23 secure the wall forming elements 20 at their upper and lower ends against lateral separation. [Thus each box-beam is secured at its upper and lower'ends] The dowels. or teeth l2v givev to the. wall the necessary stines's to resist side forces such as forces exerted against the building by wind lin the plane of the Wall surface- Further,` the dowels 12 prevent relative longitudinal or vertical movement of' the wall forming box-beam elements. Upon the walls thus. raised and secured the next [framing element] flooror joist construction is then placed and the erecting operation is repeated as describedabove.

The reference numeral, 24. indicates. battens upon. which roof boarding or plates 25 are` placed and secured by nails.r

From the above descriptionJ it. is apparent that the flange members 5 of the box-beam elements forming the walll constructions provide the interior wall surface and exterior building surface in; the outer walls or the wall'. surfaces of roomsseparated by partition walls` Further, the flange members 5 of the box-beam elements forming each floor construction provide the ceiling of the room. below and the flooring of 'the room there.- above. Since ,eachof thehun-beam elements has aY width that is, the distance between the outer surfaces of they opposite. flange members 5, egual to the thickness of the wall or floor construction of which it is, a. part, such bor-beam elements l provide the supporting structure andthe opposite surfaces. of the wall and floor constructions.

It is also apparent from the above description andl Figs. 1, 4f and 5 that each box-beam. element of the floor construction andy all of the bom-beam elements of 'the wall constructiom with the ea:- ception of' thosel defining window or 'door openings, has a length equal to one full ory overall dimension of thev construe-tion of which it is a part; Finally, as previously-stated, the distances between the centers of wall constructions definingl a room are selected as whole multiples of a module, measure, and the widths of the bow-beam elements. are either one or more times the module measure.,A dependingV upon the constructionv of which it forms a part-while the thickness of each box-beam element,- that is, they lateral dimensions of the.l flange. members 5r thereof, is preferably egual` to: the module measure or some whole: multiple-thereofso that; the: entire wooden building'may be erected from a rlimited `number of different types of box-beam elements.

rThe invention, of course, is not coni-ined to any fixed-measure of thev elements, b utl [they] the lattercan be Varied Within suitable limits as herein set forth. Likewise [can] any.Y suitable insulatingor lling-material'can be` used [according to the purpose of] so long asit provides the 'required heat or sound insulation. :The casing of the cushions 8 can be made of any-mois ture impermeable material. 1

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. In a building, a room having walls and a Wooden floor construction comprising a plurality of interengaged parallel, elongated box-beam elongated boxbeam elements of tubular'configuration in cross section arranged in side by side relationship, each element having a widthY substantially equal to the thickness of the iloorand a length at least equal to one horizontal dimension of the room bounded by said walls, and each element comprising spaced parallel vilanges, and

spaced, parallel 'webs arranged betweensaid flanges and connected thereto, said flanges forming upper and lower members inthe construction, the upper member forming the ilooring in the room above the oor construction and the lower member forming the ceiling the room below the construction, the' flanges of each box-beam element'having their edges tongued and grooved and interengaged with adjacent similar'members in the construction to form said floor and ceiling, said tongued and grooved portions'being provided With corresponding dowels and sockets, respectively, engaging adjacent like members to stabilize the construction.

2. In a building, wooden walland floor con'- structions defining a room, eachl offsaid constructions comprising a plurality of interengaged parl allel and elongated box-beam elements` of tubular configuration in cross section arranged in side' by side relationship, each of said elements having a width substantially equal to the thickness of the construction of which it is a part, the elements of saidv floor construction each having a length at least equal to one horizontal dimension of said room bounded by the wall constructions, the elements of said wallA constructions extending vertically and at least certain of the last mentioned elements having a length substantially equal to the distance between superposed floor `constructionsdefining theV height of said room,

each of said elements including spaced parallel flanges and spaced parallel webs arranged between said flanges and connect-ed to the latter, said flanges forming upper and lower members in said floor construction andinncr and outer meinbers in said wall constructions, said upper me1n,`

ber forming the flooring in the room above the floor construction and said lower member form.- ing the ceiling in the room below the construction, said inner member forming the interior wall surface of-the'room defined by the wall construction and said outer member forming the exterior wall surface of the building, said flanges of each boit-beam element in the 'wallV construction having the edges thereof tongued and 'grooved and tongued and grooved vand interengaged with adjacent elements in the floor constructionto, form,

said floor and ceiling, said tongued and grooved edges of each element having dowels and sockets, respectively, engaging sockets and dowels of adjacent elements -to stabilise saidconstructions.y

3. In a building, wooden wall and floor constructions defining-a room, each of said constructionscomprising a. plurality of interengaged parallel and elongated box-beam elements arranged in side by side relationship, each of said elements 'being of tubular configuration cross -sectionl and including spaced parallel flanges and spaced parallel webs arranged between said flanges and secured to the latter, said elements being disposed in the respective constructions so that said rwebs extend perpendicular to the plane of said respective construction, each of said elements having a width substantially equal to the thickness of. the construction of which it is a part so thatsaid flanges of the elements form. the inner and outer wall surfaces and' the flooring and ceiling of the rooms `above and below the related `floor construction, at least certain of said elements in said wall construction and all of said elements in the floor construction having lengths which are substantially equal to an over-all dimension of the respective construction, said flanges of each bor-beam element in the wall construction having opposite edges thereof tongued and grooved and interengaged with the nea't adjacent elements in the wall construction, said flanges of each bo-beamelement in the floor construction having opposite edges thereof tongued and grooved and interengaged with adjacent elements in the floor construction to form said floor and ceiling, said tongued and grooved edges of each element having dowels and sockets, respectively, engaging the sockets and dowels of said neat adjacent elements to stabilise said. constructions.

4. In a building, wooden wall and floor constructions defining a room according to claim 3;

`wherein said elements of the wall constructions are upstanding; and wherein the thickness and width of each of said elements isa whole multiple of a predetermined module measure and the over- -all dimensions of said wall and floor constructions, measured in the directions at right angles said web members, said flange members further having their longitudinal edges formed with tongue-and-groove connectors interengaging corresponding connectors on adjoining elements of the related structure to form substantially smooth cuter surfaces on the wall and floor structures,

each of said elementsI having a width substantially equal to the thickness of the structure of which it is a part and a length substantially equal to unie overall dimension of said structure of lwhich it is a part.

6. AIn a wooden-building construction; the combination according to claim 5, wherein said tongued and grocved longitudinal edges of each element are formedwith projecting dowels and cavities, respectively, for engagement with corresponding cavities and dowels of adjoining elements in the wall and floor structures.

7. Ina wooden building construction; the combination according to claim 5, wherein said grooves formed in the confronting inner faces of the flange members are spaced from the longitudinal edges of the latter so that the edge portions of flange members project laterally lbeyond said web members to define flanges, said flanges and the outer surfaces `of said web members defining laterally opening channels, [and longitudinal, insulating cushioning members mounted on said outer surface of each web member and eatending the length of the related channel.

8. In .a wooden building construction; the combination according to claim 7, wherein each of elements further includes end plates closing the opposite ends of the interior space defined by said flange members and web members, and insulating material filling said interior space.

9. In a wooden building construction; the combination according to claim 7, wherein said cushinning members are resilient and have a normal thickness exceeding the distance that `said flanges extend beyond said web members so that said cushioning members are compressed against the 1 10 bers so that air spaces are provided between said cushioning members and flanges to permit draining of moisture from the wall and door structures.

KNUT LENNART BERGVAIL. ERNST ERIK DAHLBERG.

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